How to Raise a Wolf Pup
by Eimma Roiv
Summary: Kagome and the gang stumble across a wolf pup and his severely injured mother. Turns out taking care of a demon child is tougher than it looks. Perhaps a certain wolf demon has a few tricks up his sleeve.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! For those who are getting an alert hoping for a new chapter of Denial, I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible person. Never fear, I will be putting up a chapter later this week.

Onto Inuyasha fans, welcome! c: I've been a fan since forever and for the last several weeks I've been immersed in Inuyasha fiction, that I've had the sudden urge to write some of my own.

For this story, I've decided to make it whilst the gang is still in search of the Sacred Jewel shards and on the hunt for Naraku.

I'm sure you're not even reading this so let's just continue on with the story, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Kagome adjusted the strap of her rather large yellow backpack over her shoulder once more. She felt great discomfort and no matter how much she tried stretching out her shoulders the pain would not subside. Inuyasha was lurking up further ahead, occasionally sniffing the ground hoping to get some lead.

For the past several weeks, Kagome hadn't been able to sense any jewel shards. Not even a small glimmer of power from a single shard. This was something Kagome was grateful for, she definitely was happy to be free of fighting and demons. Even if it was only for a little while.

The same couldn't be said for Inuyasha however, she could tell he was just itching for a fight.

Miroku slowed down his pace slightly and walked beside the exhausted priestess, "Lady Kagome, perhaps I should carry your bag for you. It seems rather tiring."

Kagome shook her head smiling wearily, "Thanks. I think if we stopped for just a little while I'd be fine for the rest of the day." She knew Inuyasha could hear her perfectly well, and as much as she wished he was gracious enough to pick up on the hint, she knew he would choose to ignore it.

She gave him the benefit of the doubt, but after a few minutes and he continued on as if she hadn't spoken she sighed dramatically.

"Allow me to talk to our canine companion." Miroku offered.

Kagome smiled at him, "Thanks, but I've got this covered." She sauntered over to Inuyasha, giving Sango and Shippo a small smile as she passed up her.

"Inuyasha..." she started softly, but he continued forward ignoring her.

She breathed heavily, trying to suppress her frustration, "Inuyasha!"

His ears twitched and her turned around to face her. "Whadda want?" he asked rather gruffly.

She ignored his rudeness, "Don't you think we should stop and rest for a little. We're all tired."

He scrunched his nose, "I'm not tired. I don't see why I should have to stop just cause you weakling humans can't keep up!"

"You know that isn't our fault!" she growled softly, "Why can't you for _once_ just be considerate and agree, instead of getting pissed off?"

"You know what? I just don't care! Now start moving or I'm going to leave you'll behind!" he retorted and started moving forward again.

Shippo hopped off Sango's shoulder and walked over towards Kagome, in glee of knowing full well what would happen next.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called at him angrily.

He turned around dramatically clearly not in the mood to hear her nag, "What?"

She clenched her fists, "You take _one_ more step, and I will 'it' you so _hard_ you won't be able to walk on your own for days!"

He visibly gulped. "F-fine. But we're only stopping because I'm thirsty as hell and there's a stream nearby!" he barked as he marched back over to the group.

Kagome turned and faced her other companions giving them a small smile, "How about we eat?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The group all rested around a small fire, the humans were much more tired than they had anticipated. And despite the complaints of a certain hanyou, they all agreed to spend the night. So long as they left as soon as dawn broke.

Inuyasha took his place in a tree, obviously mad that he had been outnumbered by the rest of the group. Sango leaned against a tree beside Miroku, she brushed Kirara's hair while Miroku closed his eyes enjoying the cool breeze. Shippo laid curled up in Kagome's tent, already fast asleep.

Kagome mused that she should probably sleep as well, but many unpleasant thoughts clouded her mind. She suddenly found her throat dry, and she remembered the stream Inuyasha spoke of earlier.

She stood up, "I'll be back in a few minutes, I'm going to head over to the stream."

Sango looked up at her friend a little concerned, "Shall I head out with you?"

Kagome smiled and shook her head, "It's fine, I don't plan on staying long."

She waved as she made her way to the stream, she could use the time to be alone. She felt by being around the others, that they knew what she felt. And she felt their pity, but she didn't want that, she just wanted to be able to be alone and think without having to worry about what the others thought.

She walked towards the edge of the stream, and kneeled down towards it. Cupping water in her hands she drank from it until her thirst was quenched. She looked back at the reflection in the water, it just reminded her how much she looked like Kikyo.

She sighed bitterly, she was letting others thoughts into her head again. Sure they had they same face, but they weren't completely identical. Kagome took pride in the fact that their personalities were so different, she felt sometimes that was the only reason people set them apart.

She let her thoughts slip to ones about herself, Kikyo, and Inuyasha. All the things the three had been through, the horrible past Inuyasha and Kikyo had shared. It wasn't something she thought in a million years would happen to her, yet here she was.

Kagome pondered her feelings for Inuyasha there was no doubt that she loved him, he was her first and only love. While this was true, she could help but think, _Don't I deserve more than this?_ She understood that Kikyo's and Inuyasha's relationship was...complicated. But she knew she didn't deserve this. This wasn't right or fair for her.

She let her mind slip to the thought of letting him go, a future in which didn't involve Inuyasha. At least not in the way she had always dreamed of. It hurt, it hurt a lot to think that way. She didn't want that, she wanted nothing more than to be in his loving embrace. For him to swear his love for her and her alone, but the more time passed the more she feared it would never happen.

Kagome shook her head furiously, she knew she wouldn't reach and answer or conclusion tonight. She already spent too much time by the stream, at this rate someone would come looking for her concerned.

She stood up and took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She put on the biggest smile she could muster and started walking back towards camp, though smiling was the last thing she really wanted to do.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The next morning, just as the hanyou had demanded they were all up by the crack of dawn. Unfortunately for Kagome she hadn't slept a wink, she couldn't get her dumb mind to give it a rest. The entire night it was a battle between her mentality and her heart, and she was scared. She was scared because her mind made a lot of sense.

Inuyasha like the day before was ahead of the group, but today he felt something was off. He hesitantly looked back at the group, more specifically the priestess who walked alone obviously lost in heavy thought.

He glanced at the monk and demon whom were giving him knowing looks, looks that motioned that he should probably talk to Kagome. He growled slightly embarrassed, though he wouldn't admit it, and turned back to his half-hearted search.

Shippo hopped over to him and landed on his shoulder, "Inuyasha, why don't you go and talk to Kagome? She doesn't look very happy today."

"What do you know, runt?" he said annoyed.

"I know that you're the only one who makes her sad. And you're also the only one who can make it better!" Shippo admitted begrudgingly.

Inuyasha looked at Shippo than quickly glanced at Kagome, he thought for a moment before growling. He walked towards the back of the group and threw Shippo at Sango and Miroku.

"You guys go on ahead. We'll catch up." he called over his shoulders.

Sango gave Miroku a concerned look, he smiled comfortingly placing a hand on the small of her back gently pushing her forward.

"Those two need some time to talk, they'll be fine." he added.

Sango looked at him in a new light, the monk knew how to calm her nerves. She smiled back at him shyly. Though her smile turned a face full of rage as he hand slowly slipped cupping her bottom.

"Way to ruin it." Shippo muttered to no on in particular, as he watched Sango slap Miroku in the face.

Inuyasha ignored the bumbling idiots he called his friends and stopped in front of Kagome, whom was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice him and bumped into him.

She looked up at him surprised, "Inuyasha?"

He looked down at her, ready to say something. But he quickly turned around and noticed the rest of the group walking painfully slow and within hearing range.

He growled, "Will you three scram already!"

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo reluctantly picked up pace. Once they were out of sight Inuyasha turned his attention back towards Kagome.

She was watching him curious about why he stopped her all of a sudden, and why he sent their friends away.

"Kagome…." he started unsure of where he was going with this, "...is something the matter?" He wasn't stupid, he knew something was bugging her, and it was a big deal he knew. He probably already knew what it was, but he couldn't admit it to himself.

Kagome watched him for a few moments, was something the matter? Of course, what a stupid question to ask. Her relationship to Inuyasha was a joke, or at least she was the laughing-stock. She would idly stand by as Inuyasha would stomp on her heart and then proceed to make her fall for him even more, repeat this scenario again and again.

She looked into his concerned eyes, as she contemplated what to do. But she knew exactly what she should do. Kagome was afraid she couldn't, not anymore. She couldn't let herself forgive Inuyasha, as much as she wanted to. She needed to do it for herself.

"Inuyasha, there's something we need to talk about." she started slowly.

For some reason it hit him. Hard. It was a simple phrase, but he knew it wasn't good. Not at all. He braced himself for the worst.

Suddenly Inuyasha's ears twitched, out in the distance he could hear their companions in the mist of what seemed like an argument. With a rather large crowd.

"We need to go." Inuyasha stated quickly, grabbing Kagome and carrying her towards their friends.

* * *

That concludes today's chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. :)

Any questions, comments, and suggests are appreciated and highly sought after.

I love hearing positive reviews but I also would like critiques on my work. Such as any grammar or misspellings or fears of OCC's. Don't be afraid to let me know, in no way am I offended. I always appreciate learning and improving my writing.

Well until next time!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha and blah blah blah.

I was pleasantly surprised by the positive response I got for this story. u/w/u

Thank you to those who added this story to their favorites/alerts, and to those who reviewed. I'll be replying to the reviewers at the end of this chapter.

Let's not waste your precious time, off we go!

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Kagome clung to Inuyasha, surprised by the sudden motion. She wasn't to happy about being swept up and carried around like some rag doll. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Pipe down, we're almost there." he started. He was beating himself mentally, he had been caught up in Kagome's dramatic moment that he didn't sense the demonic aura. As they got closer he could smell the blood.

Kagome and Inuyasha landed softly besides their friends, Inuyasha dropped Kagome down on the ground rather harshly. She glared at him.

"What the hell is going on out here?" he hollered out. The shouting between his friends and the mob of angered humans quieted down. He had expected to see an injured human, and his friends fending the demon off. But it looked like the humans wanted nothing to do with them.

"How dare you bring another demon!" one of the men shouted.

Another stood forward, "We'd just were about to finish this retched demon, leave us be so we may return to our village peacefully."

Inuyasha glanced down at the 'retched' demon, from the smell of her she was a wolf demon. She was in a tight ball, cradling something protectively to her chest. She had been severely beaten. He scrunched his nose in disgust, he really hoped this girl didn't belong to Koga's pack.

"Allow us to take it from here." Sango said stepping forward, the men looked at her wearily, "We'll take her far from your village. You have nothing to fear."

The men looked at each other, silently debating on whether they should take the offer or make sure to finish the jobs themselves. Slowly one by one, the men left heading back in the direction of what was probably their village.

They all sighed relived. But that left one question, what were they going to do with the wolf.

Inuyasha motioned them all to stand back as she made his way over to the demoness on the ground, he knelt near her and sniffed lightly. After a making a sound of disgust, he concluded she was not dead. Yet at least. He put a hand on her should and he could feel her stiffen as a reaction to his touch.

"Get up." he ordered harshly.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded him, "It's obvious she's not feeling well. You ordering her around isn't helping!"

She pushed him aside and ignored his protests. Sure she didn't know much about demons, but being spoken to so harshly wasn't helping anything. Kagome knew, while she wasn't human, she had to be very frightened. She had just been attacked!

"You don't have to be afraid. We only want to help." Kagome offered softly.

Her group members watched concerned, they didn't know this demon. For all they knew, she could've been bloodthirsty. She had been attacked by villagers, perhaps they were defending themselves from an attack.

Kagome thought otherwise, sure the villagers attacked. But she thought of the woman like an animal, in a non offensive way, she was hurt and scared. If she had any intention of hurting her, she'd figured she would've attacked already.

The demoness lifted her head looking over at Kagome, she pondered on her own actions before relaxing from her fetal position. She tried to push herself up, but cringed in pain.

"Don't move!" Kagome scolded softly, "Try lying down on your back."

The demoness grunted in response and slowly inched in the new position, she huffed from the pain.

Kagome took notice of the bundle in her arms, especially since it started to squirm. She reached slowly for the bundle, but the woman hissed at her in warning. She immediately retreated her hand.

Inuyasha stalked over, "She's with a pup."

Kagome tried peeking at the bundle, pondering what he meant. "You mean...a baby?" she asked a little gleefully. She'd never seen an infant demon.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, women.

"We should probably keep our distance, she seems rather frightened and determined to keep the child safe." Miroku added.

Kagome frowned and turned her attention back to the demoness, "Uh..Miss. We really have no intention of hurting your or your baby."

The wolf demoness eyed her wearily, before letting out a disgruntled sound in the back of her throat. "Do not touch my pup." she warned.

Kagome nodded and approached her, "Inuyasha bring my bag over."

He reluctantly did so, she looked through her bag and pulled out her first aid kit. She gently started treating the demoness' wounds to the best of her ability, with the help of Sango. The two of them did their best not to touch the infant in her arms.

Kagome sighed in relief as she finished, while the injuries weren't as bad as they had first believed she still looked incredibly weak...and beaten.

"Perhaps we should move her further from the village." Miroku noted that the village was very close, he did not want to risk another attack.

"Keh. I ain't carrying that woman. She stinks." Inuyasha huffed.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said sharply. She couldn't believe how rude he was!

He crossed his arms, "The smell of wolves makes me nauseous!"

The demoness grew tired of their pointless arguments, all she wanted was to make sure that her son was safe. She slowly sat up, being mindful of the child. She groaned in pain.

Kagome was instantly at her side, "Do you need help?"

She waved her offer off, and shakily stood up. She looked towards the group motioning for them to lead the way.

They began walking further into the forest, using the trees to hide them from the villagers should they return to finish the job. Unfortunately due two the wolf demoness' injuries, they couldn't travel very far. They set camp when she could not continue on further.

She leaned against the tree for support, cradling her child in her arms. Kagome sat by her side as they others moved to get the camp ready.

They remained quiet for a while but the demoness spoke, "Young priestess, why are you helping me?"

Kagome eyes widened slightly, "Do I really need a reason? You need help. ...I guess it's just not in my nature to abandon though in need." She finished sheepishly.

The woman smiled, "I'm grateful." She continued, "My name is Akane, and my son's name is Kiba."

"O-oh! My name is Kagome." she pointing to the rest of the members of her group, "That's Sango, he's Miroku, that's Shippo, and of course that's Inuyasha."

The woman closed her eyes in obvious pain, "What a strange group you travel."

Kagome laughed softly, "Yeah, it's strange. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

After a small silence Kagome asked, "Akane, how did you run across the village. And you're alone, I know that wolves travel in packs….don't they?"

Akane was silent, debating whether she would confide in Kagome and her group. It didn't seem that she had much of a choice.

"I was exiled from my pack." she stated simply.

Kagome gasped and she had the attention of the others, "What for? You're with a baby!" Kagome was appalled for many reasons.

Akane smiled, Kagome did not understand the ways of wolves. She was a human after all. "After my mate died from battle, I was incredibly heartbroken and pregnant." She laughed softly, "I managed to give birth to Kiba with no complications but do to my weakened state and weak will to live I had contracted a disease."

All the others stiffened in the group. "Did you fucking come into our group knowing you had a disease?" Inuyasha growled deeply. All he needed was one of his weak ass human friends to contract a disease.

"Inuyasha, please allow Akane to finish." Miroku stated calmly. Though he was also worried they were at risk, he liked to believe she wouldn't willingly allow others to catch the disease.

"You have nothing to worry about half-breed," she state venomously, "The healers in my clan were able to conclude that the disease was not contagious, but as far as they knew there was no cure. It was made very clear that I am dying, fear traveled through my pack. Despite what the healers had told them they didn't want to be infected by this unknown disease. So I was given an option, stay being killed by fearful wolves or leave."

"How terrible..." Kagome commented.

"My main concern was Kiba. In honesty I wish I could've left him in the pack, where I know he would've been safer. But I didn't think any of the female wolves would want to take care of an infant from a woman who was diseased." she admitted.

"With no one else to turn to, I wandered. I stopped only to feed myself and Kiba, resting occasionally. Eventually my energy faded and I couldn't travel. I searched for someone to help me. Someone to help look after Kiba." she continued, "But I despised humans. I refused to beseech them."

"A few days ago an elderly human couple took me in at the village where I was attacked, they took me in and cared for me secretly. They showed me that not all humans were pathetic, worthless, and hateful creatures." she muttered the last part, not looking to insult anyone.

"Somehow the other villagers learned of my presence, and they were not as welcoming as the elderly couple. In order to protect the safety of couple, I pretended to have held them hostage. As a result, well you saw that today." she finished.

"I'm so sorry." Kagome gave her a pitiful look, "But don't worry we'll watch over you and Kiba!" Kagome knew she could through this! "Maybe if they took her to Kaede, she could find a cure for what she has!" Kagome chimed.

The others looked at Kagome wearily, they were aware as Akane was, that there was a good chance Akane wouldn't last much longer. It was highly doubtful she could make the trip.

Inuyasha opened his mouth, readily to destroy Kagome hope but Sango silenced him with her boomerang. She couldn't stand to see Kagome heartbroken.

"I suppose." Akane said simply, she closed her eyes wanting to rest.

The group remained silent in their own thoughts.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The Inutachi group had returned to their normal activities. Which included arguments between Inuyasha and Shippo, as well as Miroku's perverted tendencies. Akane refused offers of food, she didn't think she could hold it down.

Akane opened her eyes and looked towards Kagome, "Kagome, would you mind if we spoke in private?"

"Y-yeah. Is something the matter?" Kagome asked.

Akane shook her head, "No child. I just wish to go for a small walk. I would enjoy your presence."

Sango and the others looked ready to protest, but Kagome send a pleading glance. They didn't say anything.

"The hell with it. Just stay within my hearing range, or I'm going over to kick your ass!" Inuyasha threatened pointing a finger at Akane.

Kagome looked ready to scold Inuyasha but Akane simply rolled her eyes. Using what little strength she had, she stood up and motioned for Kagome to follow. Which she complied to.

They were quiet for the duration of the walk, Akane focused her energy on making sure Kiba was safe within her grip and walking as far as she could.

Akane started huffing from exhaustion, before Kagome could comment she spoke, "Let us sit against this tree."

Kagome nodded but was rebuffed by Akane at her offers to help her.

After settling down Akane spoke, "I enjoy peaceful moments such as this. While I do enjoy the company, I prefer the silence of the forest over your friends."

They both remained silent for a long while, both enjoying the sounds of the forest.

"Kagome. Will you do me a favor?" Akane asked suddenly.

Kagome nodded her head, "Sure."

"Will you let Kiba sleep with you tonight?" she continued, "I'm feeling very weak, I fear I may drop him in my sleep." That was a lie.

"Of course. If that's what'd you like." Kagome responded slowly. She was very surprised that Akane was allowing her this, Sango had warned her that she probably wouldn't even let Kagome touch the child.

Akane reluctantly outstretched Kiba towards Kagome, she wanted nothing more for her son to stay in her arms where he belonged. Safe and sound. But that was a joke. She could barely stand the pain.

"Shall we head back to the others?" Kagome asked. She had Kiba cradled gently in her arms.

Akane shook her head, "I may sleep here for the night. I don't think I can stand to move."

"I-I'll stay here with you then. Or I'll have Inuyasha carry you over." Kagome said reassuringly.

Akane smiled tiredly, "Do not fret, Kagome. I'm more than capable sleeping on my own, and I could use the time alone. Besides I'd feel much more comfortable if Kiba was under the protection of you _and_ your friends."

Kagome looked ready to protest, but stopped. "Alright. Kiba and I will come straight back here in the morning."

All Akane could offer was a nod in agreement.

Akane watched as Kagome with Kiba in her arms made her way back to camp. Akane looked away, unable to handle the emotions that coursed through her. She knew that Kagome would give the love and care that Kiba needed, she only hoped he accepted her.

After she knew that Kagome was out of hearing range, she let out a pained groan. She didn't know how much longer she could take it, or how much longer she would last.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Kagome, what happened to Akane?" Shippo asked as she walked into the camp ground without the wolf demoness.

She smiled softly, "She said she wanted to be alone."

Inuyasha jumped over to her side, "What are you doing with that _thing!_? It's dangerous!"

Kagome cradled Kiba closer to her chest, "Akane asked if I'd watch over him tonight! And he's not a thing! Kiba is just a child!"

Inuyasha growled not pleased at all at the looks she gave the wolf pup. "Whatever. Just don't get attached to it, Kagome!" he said walking away. Muttering about stupid wolf demons.

Kagome walked over to her sleeping back and settled down, she kept Kiba cradled in her arms. Being as gentle as possible.

She looked at the wolf pup in her arms, she hadn't had much time to exam him. Akane kept him covered, she took note of his black hair and green eyes. He was positively adorable. "No wonder you mother keeps you all to yourself!" she cooed

His eyes were half-lidded, obviously ready to sleep. She adjusted him her arms, and felt rather sleepy herself. She closed their eyes, and soon they were both asleep.

Sango sat next to Miroku, as they watched Kagome as she slept peacefully with the child. "Miroku, this isn't a good sign."

He nodded in agreement, "There's not much we can do."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Akane looked out into nothing particular.. She supposed there were many things she wished she could change out her life, but she didn't regret how it went through.

Except for her one failure. Ensuring Kiba a happy life, she only prayed that Kagome could offer what she could not.

Akane slipped away later that night, a smile gracing her face as she went to meet the loved ones she had lost.

* * *

Thanks for sticking around for chapter two, I hope you were not disappointed. I'll be putting up a new chapter either by Thursday or after the weekend, since I'll be away at San Diego for Comic Con! :)

To those who reviewed last chapter: 

**Amittal**: Thanks for reviewing! ;;7;; I'll be sure to try to update as often as I can, I just hope that this story continues entertain you!

**Anonymous**: ;;w;; I barely put up chapter 2 today, I will try my hardest to get chapter 3 up. You are one step ahead of me. But thanks for reviewing. Haha.

**Full Moon Howl**: Thanks! I hate when I read something and it jumps right in too quickly or they drag the story along to try to make it longer. Haha I wasn't a fan of this pairing first either, but it was a nice change of pace


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome back and I hope you're ready and excited for the next chapter!

I suppose I should give fair warning, that as much as I like to write chapters on a weekly basis life gets in the way, but I hope you'll all bear with me! And I'm sooooo sorry for the late update, I was very conflicted about how I wanted this chapter to come out. I'm not sure about it.

Let's just get this started, away we go!

* * *

The next morning Kagome woke up, it was a rather nice day. She sat up in her sleeping bag slowly, being mindful of the baby in her arms, and was surprised to see that Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha were gone. Shippo was resting on her lap.

She hadn't intended on waking Shippo up, but to go let him sleep and go look for the others. But his eyes opened slowly, "Kagome…!" He got up quickly rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning Shippo. Do you know where the others are?" she asked.

Shippo nodded, "Yeah! But Inuyasha said he smelled something wrong. He came back, and he had a weird look on his face. And he took Sango and Miroku with him'!"

Kagome frowned, she hoped everything was alright. "Maybe I should go check it out…." she thought allowed.

"Na uh! Miroku said that we should wait here, especially since you have the baby!" he retorted.

She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms, he looked peaceful. "I guess so..." she said unsure.

Not too long after the others returned, Kagome had managed to clean up a bit while keeping an eye on Kiba whom was still asleep. Kagome gave them a smile, but they all had a solemn look.

Her smile fell. "Is something the matter?" she asked concerned.

"Kagome...Akane has passed away." Sango said softly.

Kagome looked at the three of them in disbelief, she wished they tell her it was some sick joke. But Kagome's sad look, Miroku's sympathetic eyes, and Inuyasha's annoyed growl confirmed her fears.

She immediately looked to Kiba, "But what about the baby...?"

"She left us to deal with it!" Inuyasha growled.

Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes, "How terrible...he's so young."

"What are we going to do about the child is our main concern at he moment." Miroku pointed out.

"Well...It seems like it's up to us to take care of it." Kagome said slowly and unsure.

"We don't have time to deal with this crap! If you haven't forgotten we need to find the jewel shards _and_ defeat Naraku. Which isn't possible traveling with a baby everywhere!" Inuyasha practically screamed.

Unfortunately the baby slowly opened his eyes, tears were still forming in Kagome's eyes. Kiba looked at Kagome quizzically, while he seemed to like Kagome he missed his mother. He sniffed the air searching for her scent, but he couldn't sense it. Everyone watched the child, wondering what it's reaction would be.

Inuyasha growled, he knew what was to come. This kid was more trouble than it was worth…

Once he realized his mother was no where in sight, tears filled his eyes and he began to cry loudly. Inuyasha winced painfully at the noise.

Immediately Kagome rocked the baby gently hoping to calm him, but it wasn't working.

"I knew this was going to be a pain in my ass! We should just leave the kid!" Inuyasha was incredibly irritated.

"Inuyasha, how could you say such a thing?! It's not his fault he's fussy, hungry, and he misses his mother…." she finished sadly.

He looked at her ready to argue but Miroku hit him upside the head. "Now, now Inuyasha. Let's not make this situation more stressful than it already is. The child obviously understands his mother is no longer hear, but sensing Kagome angered will not make him feel any better."

Inuyasha growled at him loudly, but resorted to grumbling under his breath.

"What shall we do then?" Sango asked, "Taking care of a demon infant will not be easy. Especially since we don't know much about raising a wolf pup..."

Kagome continued to try to sooth the crying child, "We can't just leave or give up on him though! He has no one to support him, he's only a baby!"

"You know, we could away go seek Koga for help." Miroku offered.

Inuyasha glared at him, "Hell no! I'm not asking him for help." He turned towards Kagome, "You just need to learn to deal with that brat, get him to stop crying."

Kagome ignored him, she understood that this whole situation was frustrating Inuyasha. But he didn't have to be so rude all the time…

Sango walked over to Kagome with a sad but reassuring smile, "Why don't you give Kiba to me and go wash up. Being a state of distress is only making him more upset."

"Yeah, I think you're right..." Kagome nodded. She gently placed her hand under Kiba's head, he was still crying uncontrollably. She passed him into Sango's arms, but once Kagome was out of his reach his crying turned into hysterics.

Inuyasha pressed his ears against his head, this is why he hated kids. They were so damn loud! "Shut him up!" he barked.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome glared at him, she couldn't understand what his problem was.

"Kagome. I think you should take Kiba back, he's seems even more upset if he's away from you." Sango handed Kagome the wolf pup, wincing at the intensity of his crying.

Kagome quickly took him in her arms and cradled him to her chest hushing softly, "It's okay, Kiba. I got you."

Kiba's eyes dried and he looked at Kagome with sad eyes. Her heart went out for the small boy. Kiba began sniffing the air once more, and upon realization that his mother was no where in sight he began to cry again.

"Inuyasha, why don't you go find something for Kiba to eat. Possibly milk?" Miroku offered. He hoped to calm everyone as the stress was rising.

Inuyasha growled, "Whatever."_ Anything to get away from the crying snot ball._

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

After some debate, the group decided the best thing to do was to head back to Kaede's village. Seeing that they had no supplies that was necessary to take care of an infant. It was a tiring three-hour journey for the group, as Kiba's cries had not ceased.

Once they arrived Kagome and Sango made their way to Kaede's hut for advice. Inuyasha ran off immediately obviously in an incredibly bad mood, while Miroku had Shippo stay with him in the village. Saying that the matters with Kiba was something for the women to decide.

Kagome sat with Kaede and Sango on the floor of the hut, with a crying Kiba in his arms. He was still upset at not being able to find his mother.

"I feel so bad for him. He misses his mother. And it's killing me, his crying..." Kagome said on the verge of tears.

Kaede gave her a sympathetic look, "Perhaps you should give the child to Sango, you need to take some time for yourself and relax Kagome. The child senses your distress and it makes him even more upset."

"I've tried taking him, but he goes into louder hysterics if he is taken from Kagome..." Sango said wearily. The child's crying was getting to her too.

Kaede said thoughtfully, "How strange. While I don't know too much wolf demons, I've never encountered this before. In the short time that you've known Kiba, he's seemed to have developed a bond with ye."

Kagome rocked Kiba in her arms gently, "He hasn't stopped crying. I feel so bad that I can't seem to comfort him."

"Has he been fed today?" Kaede asked.

"Well Kagome attempted to feed the child cow milk, but it was rather difficult..." Sango explained.

"If only I could go to my time and get a bottle for him. It'd make feeding him a lot easier. The only problem is the well will only let Inuyasha and I cross over, and Kiba goes into hysterics if I'm not the one holding. I don't know what'll happen if he can't sense me once I pass over." Kagome sighed. _Not to mention how I would explain to Mom why I need all this baby stuff…._

"Have ye all decided what to do with the child?" Kaede asked.

Kagome nodded, "While I understand our traveling is going to be a lot harder, we've decided I'll do my best to raise the baby. There's no other way, because Kiba refuses to let anyone else hold him other than me...but…." Kagome stopped, she too was thinking of asking Koga for help. He was a wolf demon after all. But Inuyasha was angry enough as it was…

"You're thinking of asking the Koga of the wolf demon tribe for help, are you not Kagome?" Kaede asked.

Kagome nodded, "Y-yeah. I know taking care of a baby is a hard enough task, but taking care of a demon? I wouldn't know where to start. What if I gave him something that was bad for him and I didn't eve know it? ….the only problem is, I know Inuyasha won't hear it."

"Not only that, Kagome. But taking care of a demon child can prove to be dangerous. He may look small in harmless, but he's still a demon. And while he may not hurt you intentionally, he will grow into have very sharp teeth and claws." Sango added, "As for Inuyasha, he's a dog demon. He won't know much about taking care of a wolf pup, especially since he was raised partly by his human mother and of his own accord."

"I just wish Inuyasha would be more reasonable about this situation. I know taking care of a baby is not he greatest idea, but I have no choice! Besides he's so short-tempered when it comes to Kiba..." Kagome sighed annoyed.

"Don't be too harsh on Inuyasha, Kagome. Understand that he is half-demon. By instinct a male demon wants nothing to do with a child that is not his." Kaede noted.

"But he seems to have gotten along fairly well with Shippo..." Kagome countered.

Kaede shook her head, "That is a different situation. I believe Inuyasha treats Shippo as a younger brother, but with Kiba this is a child you've agreed to raise. By instinct, he wants nothing to do with the child. It may take time for Inuyasha to warm up to the boy."

"I hope so..." Kagome said unsure.

Sango smiled, "You know Inuyasha, he acts all gruff and mean. But on the inside he's just a big softy!"

Kagome sighed, she hoped that was true. But if was Kaede said is true...than taking care of Kiba was going to be a lot harder than it already was.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Kagome finished making a list of things she was going to need for the modern era in order to take care of Kiba, she tried to make sure the list only had items that were _necessary_. She also included a note to her mother explaining everything to her, she prayed that she would understand

"Alright, I finished this. Now I just have to get Inuyasha to go over to my time, give my mom the list. Than after getting what we need, Inuyasha can bring it back over to me!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Perhaps I should talk to Inuyasha." Sango suggested, "Kiba hasn't started crying and having him near Inuyasha will only frustrate him more."

Kagome sighed annoyed, "That's fine. If only he wasn't so stubborn, it would make life a lot more easier! Make him go as soon as possible, and if he refuses let him know that I'll sit him into oblivion if he doesn't!"

Sango nodded and watched as Kagome try to sooth Kiba, whom was still very upset. Kagome seemed stressed and worried constantly for Kiba's well-being since she learned of Akane's passing. She worried maybe Kagome was becoming a little big too attached to the child, so quickly.

She sighed before walking out of the hut in search of Inuyasha.

She didn't have to look too far, she found Inuyasha sulking in the forest. Obviously still not liking the situation that they were all forced into. "Inuyasha. Kagome needs your help." Sango said getting his attention.

He scoffed, "I'm not going anywhere near that screaming brat!

"That's not what I meant! Kagome needs you to go to the future and give her mom this note. Then you need to bring the stuff back for Kiba." Sango explained.

He growled, "And why should I do that?!"

"Inuyasha don't be so stubborn! Kagome can't leave Kiba's side, he gets very upset when she's not near him so she can't go." Sango tried to explain, and not lose patience with him. Sango understood what Kaede explained, but Inuyasha was also half _human_. He could at least try to be a little patient and helpful.

"Because Kagome is already stressing enough as it is. And if you do this, Kiba might stop crying." she tried reasoning with him.

He growled ready to protest, but in all honesty he wanted nothing more to be away from the screaming child. He felt like his ears were going to bleed from being around it. To make matters worse, he couldn't get anywhere near Kagome!

Without another word, Inuyasha snatched the note from Sango's hand and ran for the well.

Sango sighed, she desperately hoped that everything turned out all right. With the search for the jewel shards and the immanent battle with Naraku, how could they manage to take care of a child?

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Inuyasha walked into the hut, unfortunately the few hours he was gone, Kiba was crying the entire time. He placed the bag Kagome's mother had given him near the doorway. He quickly sniffed the air growled and left her, ignoring her completely.

Kagome sighed frustrated and walked over to look through the bags, but she immediately noticed the note that attached to it:

_Dear Kagome,_

_What a horrible thing for Kiba to go through. Please give him a big hug and a kiss for me, I wish I could meet him. I understand the situation you've been put through, and I hope you understand the big responsibility that's been placed on your shoulder. If you need any advice please ask, I hope to see you again soon._

_With much love,_

_Mom_

_P.s. I also happened to notice Inuyasha's frustration. This is going to be hard on everyone, remember that! But don't let anyone put you down!_

Kagome smiled softly, she had the best mother. She quickly went through the bag and saw that her mother got her everything she needed...plus a little more. There were blankets, lots of clothes, formula, bottles, cloth diapers, and other things. In the very least, this would make life just a little bit easier.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

With a small basin that she got from Kaede and the shampoo from the modern era, Kagome was able to wash Kiba and put him into fresh clothes. She wrapped Kiba up in a blanket and attempted to feed him with a bottle, but he refused to eat. She worried that he would never eat again.

Kagome looked down at Kiba, he looked back up at her crying intensely. She wished she knew what to do. "Kiba...I know I don't know much about wolf demons, but I promise to do my best to raise you. I'll protect and love you as if you were my own." she smiled softly at him.

Suddenly Kiba stopped crying, his eyes were red from tears but he looked at Kagome. A small smile on his face. Kagome took this opportunity to place the bottle filled with formula in his mouth, he suck on it eagerly obviously hunger from not eating all day.

Kagome smiled relieved. In that moment she knew what she had to do, to make sure Kiba had everything he needed. As much as it annoyed Inuyasha, she needed to do what was best for Kiba. Tomorrow she would head over to Koga's den for help.

* * *

I know it seems like a slow transition ((or maybe too fast?)) but I want to make this as believable as possible. I really don't think the gang would rush to Koga's aid so quickly, for obvious reasons! I also didn't want to do the cliché thing where Koga just so happens to be coming by to visit Kagome. But never fear, the next chapter will have an appearance of Koga!

So I worry cause I got so many reviews and as much as I want to reply to all of them I don't want to waste so much space. I've decided not to answer any, only because I'm sure you're all more interested in me writing and not me replying to all the reviews. So sorry! If you do want me to reply, let me know! Or just send me a private message?

Special thanks to these people for reviewing: **Guest**, **Jules1441**, **Kagomefan00**, **MourningGlorie**, **Ponypainter**, **QueenofAlices**, **howhightofly**, **graciefox**, **Yamato-High**, **KnightFakir**, **2featherbraids**, **SnowyFlame**, **Amittai,** **AM78, KogaxKagomelover**, **Angel wolf11021**, **Noxy the Proxy**, **Lorelei evans**,** Full Moon Howl**, **Deamonslayer576, Chysanths and steelfangfangirl.**

Thank you for everyone and their kind words./humbled

Hope to see you all next time, later!


	4. Chapter 4

Welcome back! I hope you all enjoyed the last update, I got a lot of positive reviews (which gosh I don't deserve). I was still in the mood to write about this fic, so I figured I'd better take advantage of it before it disappeared! Just don't expect this often...

Any who onto the next chapter!

* * *

Kagome had slept in longer than she had intended to, but she was so exhausted from Kiba's crying the pervious day. Luckily everyone, mind Inuyasha, thought she deserved the much needed rest. Not to mention that they were all incredibly grateful that Kagome could finally get Kiba to stop crying.

Shippo made his way over to Sango and Kagome, they were talking softly as Kiba laid on the floor beside them playing with a toy from the modern era which fascinated him.

"Kagome, does that mean we're gonna keep Kiba?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Kagome smiled and nodded, "We don't have much choice. Besides, I think Akane entrusted me to watch over him. I wouldn't want to ignore her last wishes."

"Kagome, you know this won't be easy..." Miroku spoke from across the room. He hated to be the one to bring upon negativity, but he was inclined to remind everyone of the situation they were in.

Kagome frowned, "I know...but I have an idea." she paused for a moment, "It's pretty obvious I don't know anything about raising a demon, a baby for that matter. So I was thinking the best thing to do at this point is to seek Koga's help."

"You do know what that means Kagome." Sango started, "...as Kaede mentioned yesterday, male demons have no interest in raising children who are not their own. Koga is just as likely to reject this child as Inuyasha already has."

"Not to mention the fit Inuyasha will go into at the mere thought of seeking Koga out." Miroku added.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "He'll just have to get over it! Won't he Kiba!" She cooed to the pup, and he gurgled slightly.

"Oh! I know, I'll go and get Inuyasha!" Shippo exclaimed, running out of the hut before Kagome could stop him.

Kagome sighed heavily, she didn't want to start the day in a bad mood.

It was within mere minutes that Shippo came running in, Inuyasha not far behind. "Ya little brat, don't think you can hide behind Kagome after hitting me!" he hollered.

"I brought him for you, Kagome!" Shippo said proudly while sticking out his tongue at Inuyasha childishly.

Inuyasha took notice of Kagome and the infant, "Ya finally got that wolf to pipe down. I was going insane with it's cryin'!"

"With no help from you..." Kagome dully noted. She didn't want to get in an argument with Inuyasha, considering what she was about to ask him.

He scrunched his nose in disgust, "What did ya want _me_ to do about it?"

Kagome shook her head, letting go of her building anger, "Never mind."

"Inuyasha, it seems clear to me that you have no interest in helping out with Kiba. Despite you being a half-demon, and any knowledge you have would help." Miroku spoke up.

"Keh. Of course not! Besides I know nothin' about raising a pup." Inuyasha stated simply.

Miroku grinned, "So you don't mind if we sought out….'professional' help."

Inuyasha glared at the monk, "Just what are ya getting at, Miroku?"

Miroku gestured to Kagome and she fidgeted slightly. She was hoping she had a little more time to better his mood.

"Well Kagome, got something to say? Spit it out!" Inuyasha demanded. He did not like where this was going one bit.

Kagome flinched, "Well...you know I've decided to take responsibility over Kiba."

"Well duh! You _did_ make me haul all that junk from your era. I still think it's a dumb idea!" Inuyasha was getting more irritable by the second.

She sighed, "Well it's been decided and I'm not changing my mind! The thing is, I want to raise Kiba right. I'd be naive to think I can raise a demon child on my own with no knowledge of his kind. So I've decided I'm going to ask Koga for help." She finished slowly but confidently.

She was determined it was the right thing to do for Kiba. But she also knew it would do incredible damage to her already tattered relationship with Inuyasha.

He was silent for a moment, something no one expected. "Get out!" Inuyasha demanded, it was rather clear he wanted to talk to Kagome alone.

"Inuyasha…?" Kagome asked concerned as the rest of the group made haste to leave the hut, they didn't want to feel the rash of Inuyasha.

He stood silently not moving, he thought for a while trying to think of the right words. "Kagome….I know things haven't been great between us." he started.

Kagome watched in silent horror, was this the talk she so desperately craved yet feared to come. Kiba squirmed in her arms, not liking the sudden tension.

"But I can't stand the thought of you asking that mangy wolf for help with that kid..." he paused and corrected himself, "...Kiba. I want to prove to you I can provide for you, for the both of you. Give me another chance."

"W-what?" Kagome asked confused, slightly angry. She'd given him so many chances, how was this fair to her.

He growled, "I know I've fucked up! A lot! But I know I can do this. ...Let me take care of Kiba with you, I won't let you down." He was desperate he had always clung selfishly to Kagome. And the thought Kagome seeking the help of any man sickened him, it was his job to provide for her.

She watched him with wide eyes, "I-I don't know Inuyasha..."

"I can do it!" he said with uncertainty. He couldn't explain it himself, he knew that the idea of raising any kid would piss him off. But this little brat made him much more irritable.

She thought for a moment. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. She hadn't really given Inuyasha a chance to prove himself, maybe they didn't need to seek Koga's help after all. She'd given Inuyasha so many chances before, what was one more?

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Kagome sat in the hut, it was time to feed Kiba again it seemed. He got hungrier than human babies did, maybe she needed more formula than she'd originally thought…

Inuyasha abruptly took a seat next to her, he was quiet for a moment. "Do ya want me to feed him?" he said quickly.

She gave him a warm smile, she was surprised he even offered. He looked rather embarrassed to even ask. "That's be nice." her hope restoring in him. She shifted Kiba in her arms, and passed him along to Inuyasha. "Be careful, he's really fragile!" she mentioned.

"Yeah. Yeah." he replied taking a hold of Kiba. The wolf demon looked up at Inuyasha, he sniffed lightly. His nose scrunched up and his fists closed tight as he began to cry uncontrollably.

"H-hey kid. Stop crying!" Inuyasha hollered, his ears pressing flat against his head. If there was one thing he could stand was this pup's crying.

Kagome took hold of Kiba immediately, "Don't yell at him, Inuyasha! He's just a baby, he doesn't understand!" She rocked Kiba in her arms gently, cooing soft words to him.

Inuyasha looked at the two with contempt, well mostly at Kiba. He growled, "What's wrong with him?"

Kagome shot him a dirty look, "Nothing is! You just scared him!"

He growled again, but he tried to calm himself. How was he going to prove to Kagome he could do this is the damn kid was scared of him? He sat closer towards Kagome and leaned over her shoulder.

Kiba looked up at him and began to whimper, Kiba didn't like this demon.

Kagome shot Inuyasha another look and pulled away from him slightly, "It's alright Kiba, he's just a big meanie!"

"I don't need this." Inuyasha growled and made quick haste to exit the hut. He brushed past Sango rather rudely as she came back to check up on how Kagome was doing.

"What's got him in such a bad mood?" Sango asked as she took a seat across Kagome, "I thought you said he was going to help you with Kiba."

Kagome sighed, "Yeah...I think he's just upset. I know Kiba isn't his, but I'm sure he'll warm up to him. Maybe it'll just take him a couple of days, knowing Inuyasha it might take weeks..."

Sango looked at her wearily, "Kagome...it doesn't exactly work like that. Inuyasha isn't like us. Like I mentioned before, his demon nature wants nothing to do with Kiba. _But_ there is a chance he could bond with the child. That's under certain situations, and it usually only happens with a mate or intended mate. Even then, that's not a very good chance."

Kagome shook her head, "But Inuyasha is part-human! If we give him some time, I know they'll bond."

"I'll be honest don't know much about half-demons, but Inuyasha is acting the way any other demon would. If he _really_ wanted to bond with the child, he would've accepted him by now. Bonding comes with time, but if Inuyasha's demon instinct refuses to accept Kiba right off the bat I don't think he ever will." Sango explained. She didn't want to dampen Kagome's hopes, but she needed to understand.

"I know you mean well Sango, but Inuyasha isn't like any other demon!" Kagome was confident he would prove that.

Sango sighed sadly, "I know that. At this point Kagome I think it's been made clear Inuyasha's demon instincts want nothing to do with Kiba, but to give him the benefit of the doubt if Inuyasha doesn't accept Kiba by today. I don't think he ever will." She couldn't understand how she could have so much faith in a person who always let her down emotionally, it sounded exhausting and he broke Sango's heart to sit by and idly watch.

Kagome sat quietly. So if by the end of the day Inuyasha can't come to terms with Kiba, there was no hope. She had always put a lot of faith into Inuyasha, and she was going to do this to. This was their last chance. So swore it was.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

By night time Kagome was tired. Taking care of Kiba was apart of the reason, but that was to be expected! She was at her wits end with Inuyasha hovering around trying to 'help' all day. All he succeeded in doing was getting unusually pissed off at her or Kiba or just anyone for that matter.

Kagome finished feeding Kiba, changed him and placed him in a cradle-like contraption one of the other villagers had so kindly given to her. They had been very much accepting of Kiba, not that it was too much of a surprise seeing as they welcomed both Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kiara.

Inuyasha suddenly stormed into the hut, he had thought a lot about what happened today. He was frustrated, tired, and just wanted that brat out of their lives

"Can't we just leave the brat at Koga's place?! I'm sure he'd be happy to frolic in the mud with them or whatever the hell it is wolves do." Inuyasha spat out, having finally lost his patience.

Kagome grit her teeth, "I can't believe you just said that! There's no way I can abandon Kiba!"

Inuyasha cursed under his breath, there he went again. Fucking everything up. He took a deep breath and did his best to calm down, but his voice came out strained, "Kagome, I'm sorry. This is just really stressful...and..."

"Inuyasha, I know you want to help me. And I really wanted this to work, but you couldn't even last one day!" Kagome said emotionally exhausted.

Inuyasha watched silently, everything she said was true. He didn't have the gull to admit to her that no matter how hard he had tried that day, he couldn't bond with that kid. But he figured she probably already knew that.

"Kiba is apart of my life now. Permanently. You can't just expect me to drop him to please you. If anything, this has made me realize how much we need Koga's help..." Kagome finished.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

While Kagome thought it was best to get to Koga as soon as possible, with Kiba transportation for everyone was not easy. Miroku suggested he get Hachi to give them a lift, but he wouldn't be able to until the following morning. Kagome reluctantly agreed.

The first thing the following morning the group was on their way to Koga's den. They'd been traveling for a few hours and it wouldn't be long before Koga would sense their familiar presence. Kagome, with Kiba in her arms, Sango, Miroku and Shippo were gathered together discussing matter. All the while Inuyasha sat away from the group, sulking.

"Kagome, are you sure this is a good idea?" Sango asked he younger girl unsure. She was worried of Koga's reaction to Kiba, he saw Kagome as his intended. If he thought of Kiba as a threat he may try to kill him.

Kagome spoke, "Well it's the best idea I got right now. I don't think I could raise Kiba without really knowing about wolf demons.

Miroku watched Kagome concerned, "And what it Koga doesn't help. What if he's like Inuyasha and can't stand to help you."

Kagome felt the familiar call of two jewel shards that were coming their way, "He's here." There wasn't anymore time to think of what Koga would do, those thought had been wracking her brain since the night prior. All she could do was hope for the best.

Hachi began descending towards a open area, he landed on the ground softly and the group off his back. He transformed back to his much smaller form and the group waiting anxiously for Koga to arrive.

It wasn't long before a whirlwind of air came into view, immediately dispersing a few meters away. He was immediately followed by several wolves. Kagome suddenly felt uneasy not liking the idea of being surrounded by wolf demons, with a foreign wolf demon child. She didn't know what to expect, and pulled Kiba closer to her chest subconsciously.

Koga walked straight towards Kagome following his normal routine, he was glad to see her. "Kagome, I noticed you guys were heading my way! Thought I'd stop by and say hi to my gorgeous girl. How've ya been? It's been a while since…." he stopped speaking suddenly noticing a bundle in her arms. He sniffed precariously towards it, he took a step back in surprise.

"Er. Hi, Koga." Kagome said timidly, "I guess you've already noticed Kiba."

He smiled nervously, "O-oh is that his name." This was an unexpected turn of events. He'd intended on talking and maybe flirting with Kagome, he'd never imagined to find her with a wolf pup. "How'd you manage to get a hold of this little guy?"

She smiled this was a good sign so far, "Well we came upon a wolf demoness and Kiba, but the wolf demoness passed away a few days ago….so I've decided to try and take care of Kiba since he has no one else. That's why I'm here..!" she paused suddenly embarrassed, "I was hoping you could help me."

Ordinarily Koga would want nothing to do with a pup that wasn't his own, not that he'd ever had one. Wolves were naturally social, he'd played with pups before but that's as far is it went. He wasn't going to lie, he felt hesitantly about saying yes. At first his demon instinct was against raising a pup that wasn't his. He looked at Kagome, she had hopeful eyes. Pleading almost.

Koga still wasn't sure, he knew Kagome had a caring personality. But this was a wolf pup, one he didn't know, he wasn't even sure what tribe it hailed from. And while it was true she was watching over Shippo the fox kit was older and mature enough not to be so dependent on it's original parents. Other problems arose, the chances of surviving without it's mother was low. The wolf pup's only chance was to imprint on another female, the chances of that was even lower.

He walked closer to the pup, he allowed his demonic presence to gently caress the wolf pup in an attempt to wake him from his nap. The wolf pup immediately responded opening his eyes, looking up at Koga. The wolf pup seemed to recognize Koga as a male wolf, and whimpered up at him. Calling for his mother. It was what Koga feared, the pup had no interest on imprinting on another female. But to his ultimate surprise the pup looked up at Kagome and smiled, gurgling happily. The wolf pup while he yearned for his mother, was very much attached to Kagome.

He sighed, "I'll can see what I can do." Kagome was a big weakness for him, he'd do anything to please her. His demon instincts knew this, they ceased they're annoying displeasure and remained silent.

"Y-you will?" Kagome asked in disbelief. She expected reluctance, she'd expected she'd have to plead.

He smiled and stepped closer putting an arm around Kagome, "Of course. You're my woman. Any child you take in, I'd be happy to raise Kiba with you."

Kagome blushed and squeaked out, "R-raise?"

"That's it. I've heard enough of this crap!" Inuyasha stepped in, "You're not helping her _raise_ him. If anything you're just giving us advice, and then we're moving on!"

Koga growled at him, "I can't just give you 'advice.' Raising a wolf pup ain't easy, mutt face!"

Inuyasha, whose mood had been incredibly horrible these days, had been itching for a fight to let off some steam. This was perfect. "I'm gonna take you down!" he growled angrily.

"Inuyasha, sit boy!" Kagome commanded and Inuyasha's face planted into the ground. She wasn't in the mood for this, and she really hoped she wouldn't have had to use the command on Inuyasha. She'd made it a point not to do so these past few days, but Inuyasha had far pushed her over the edge.

He looked up from the ground, anger and hurt flickering across his eyes. Kagome sighed upset, Inuyasha was obviously already hurt enough. She was hopeful there was another way, one that didn't involve her staying alone with Koga.

"Possibly you would take interest in traveling with us?" Miroku asked, hoping to set a more positive mood.

Koga shook his head, "Nah, that won't work. I can't just leave the pack and travel with ya guys, I'm the leader of a wolf pack ya know."

"You can't be suggesting that we stay at the wolf den with you." Sango stated incredulously.

Koga scoffed, "Of course not! What I'm saying is that Kagome and Kiba will stay here. That way I can help raise Kiba, _and_ watch over my woman."

Inuyasha pushed himself off the ground as the power of the necklace faded away, but kept his distance in fears of being 'sat' again. "Like hell you are! Kagome ain't staying with you." Inuyasha growled.

Koga pulled away from Kagome and faced her, ignoring Inuyasha. His mood suddenly serious, "Kagome. If I could I really would go with you, but I can't. I have a lot of responsibilities with my pack. I think you should consider my offer to stay at my den, raising Kiba isn't going to be easy on your own."

Koga knew Kagome was serious about raising Kiba and while he would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do, she had to understand the situation.

Kagome thought for a long while. She knew the right thing to do for Kiba was to stay with Koga, and she had subconsciously prepared to stay with Koga. But what about the others? She couldn't just abandon them...

"You're not considering this are you?!" Inuyasha asked, her silence making him fear the worst. Kagome gave him a sad look, and he felt his stomach turn.

Sango walked closer to Kagome, "Kagome, as crazy as this may sound coming for me, I think you should stay. Well at least temporarily."

Kagome looked at her with wide eyes, "Y-you do? But what about the jewel shards and Naraku!"

"I agree with Sango. Your main concern is Kiba, there's no safe way to go about raising a wolf pup and travel to fight a demon at the same time. At this point most of the jewel shards have been collected. And Inuyasha has Naraku's scent and will work on tracking him down." Miroku offered. He was eager to take down Naraku, but Kagome had other priorities.

Sango spoke up, "But we do have conditions. You can't just take Kagome with you and expect her drop everything to please your needs, she has a family and friends who care about her. I suggest Kagome spend a certain amount of time with you, and you do the same for her." She gave Koga a hard look, she appreciated Koga helping Kagome but he couldn't expect her to drop her life for him because he didn't want to travel.

Koga didn't appreciate being spoken this way by the demon slayer. Anyone for that matter.

"Koga, please. I know you have responsibilities but I have some too. I want to learn how to take care of Kiba, but I have to find the jewel shards too. The quicker I can do so, the faster I can focus on taking care of Kiba." Kagome pleaded. She was willing to stay with him for a while, but she couldn't wait for Kiba to grow up unfortunately. They're just wasn't enough time for that.

Once again Koga felt his resolve wavering the eyes of the woman he cared for most, "Fine. You'll stay with me for three months, and then we'll go travel with your friends."

"Three months? Fuck no, she's not staying with you for three months. Actually she ain't staying with you at all!" Inuyasha growled, why were they making these deals without his consent. He was alpha, this wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Miroku sighed, "What he means to say is three months is a very long time. Time we don't have unfortunately. Would you consider shortening the length to a month an a half?"

"I guess that's fine. I'll have to make arrangements for it." Koga finally agreed after a few moments of contemplating, he figured if Kagome had to sacrifice so much, he could afford to sacrifice some himself too.

Shippo shyly made his way to her, "I don't mind either, Kagome! Kiba needs your help." He turned towards Koga, "We can visit her, right?"

"Course, Kiddo." Koga gave him a grin.

Kagome was grateful for their reasoning with Koga, while living with him this upcoming month and a half would be difficult she'd learn to adapt for the sake of Kiba. She looked at Koga and smiled gratefully, "I know I'm asking so much of you, and I'm so glad Koga that you're willing to help me."

"Anything for you, Kagome." Koga couldn't stop grinning, being graced with her genuine smiles, as opposed to the fake ones she usually gave him, was enough to make his day. And he was sincere in his statement, he cared for Kagome. This was the perfect opportunity to show her how much he truly cared for her, and he was going to make every second count.

Kagome turned and looked at her gratefully, but she knew _they_ would be supportive. Inuyasha was another case. He was growing irritable as his protests fell on deaf ears, it seemed that no one else cared for _his_ opinion.

Kagome sighed, she couldn't ignore Inuyasha for much longer. "Do you guys mind if I talk to Inuyasha alone?"

"Sure thing." Sango mentioned. After exchanging several heartfelt hugs, and teary goodbyes Sango ushered Miroku and Shippo away, back to where Hachi was resting in the shade.

With the happiest grin Kagome had ever seen on Koga's face he outstretched his arms, "Want me to take Kiba off your hands?"

Kagome looked at him wearily and he grinned, "Don't worry, I've taken care of pups before."

She carefully placed Kiba in his arms and to her shock he didn't cry. He simply looked up at Kiba, fascinated by him. "How…?" she asked not sure what she really wanted to know. Kiba had refused to let _anyone hold_ him, except for herself. It was nothing short of a miracle to her.

"Pfft. I'm the alpha and he knows it. This pup's pretty smart!" he grinned before walking off. He was a nice guy and was willing to give Kagome a chance to say goodbye to the mutt. He didn't mind, seeing that Kagome was going home with _him_. He ushered the other wolves that shoved between the others to stand closer to Koga and take a whiff of the pup.

Kagome turned and smiled softly at Miroku, Sango, and Shippo waving at them before they left. Leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone. It was the first time they were completely alone since they came across Kiba.

She felt a headache coming, just from the thought of the argument they were going to have. After trying to reason with him, Inuyasha would yell at her for being 'stupid.' She would lose her temper and 'sit' him. All the while having both of their feelings hurt in the process. It was a painful and sad cycle they've never been able to break.

"Wait for me." he spoke softly.

Kagome had never seen him beg for something before. This wasn't Inuyasha. He was desperately reaching for something she was tired of offering. "You can't ask that of me." she responded.

He shook his head and stated rather gruffly, "I wasn't asking."

And shook her head defiantly, standing her ground, "You don't get to ask that, not anymore."

"I need you." he growled and pulling her into a reluctant embrace.

She didn't fight back, but she refused to accept him either. Her resolves she had come to terms with the last couple of days were fading before her eyes.

Inuyasha was her weakness.

She refused to speak, she feared her mouth would betray her.

"I'll come back for you. Just you wait." he whispered, his breath brushing across her cheek. He wasn't stupid, he knew he was losing her. All he could do was make promises, those of which he hoped he could keep. Hoping that she would wait.

He pulled away and left without another glance, ignoring the fresh scent of salt in the air.

She watched him, it took every once of strength not to cry. She so desperately wished her heart stopped yearning for him, would she ever be set free. Free to love someone who actually treated her the way she deserved. Or was she doomed to love only Inuyasha for the rest of her life?

* * *

By the way, guess who re-watched the first three seasons of Inuyasha recently? *7* It helped _a lot_ you don't even know, I needed a refresher about how everyone acted. (Like now I can imagine everyone saying their respective lines from the English cast.) I'm itching to watch season four, but that takes time away from writing.

As an added note, I revised the story a little in my mind. I thought it was important to emphasize while Kagome is tired of her relationship with Inuyasha, she does still love him. It's not so easy for someone to stop loving someone, no matter the situation. This is going to be an emotional struggle for her as the story progresses.

I got reviews where people thought Inuyasha was being mean, and I don't want Inuyasha to be portrayed as the evil bastard of this story (I'm exaggerating of course). While it's true he hasn't been the nicest person, we have to be reminded of a few things: his personality, his childhood, he's half-demon and his past love. Inuyasha to be short is a little messed up, and because of this has a habit of messing things up. But in no way does that mean Kagome should tolerate or be forced to accept this behavior, I just wanted to remind people he has feelings and emotions too. He may be an idiot, but I still love his character!

Thanks to those who favorite and/or added this story to your alerts, seriously! ;;/7/;;

Special thanks to those who reviewed: **LissaDawn1990**, **Lorelei evans**, **sangoscourage**, **Jules1441**, **DancingNinja21**, **Guest**, **2featherbraids**, **C. G.** (guest), **Vanilla Diamonds**, **Jessy3123**, and **L Lawliet **(OMG DON'T GET MAD/dies), .

Until next time! :3


	5. Chapter 5

Heh. Hello! I've been gone for a while, and that's partly due to school plus club activities. And I wish I can say, oh summer is coming up so I'll update all the time but that's not likely to happen. But I will say that I will continue with the story, it just might take a while.

Note: I've made some edits to the story in some of the chapters, none are too major. Though I think I added more detail in the last chapter if you'd like to go back and read. I also caught some errors that I need to go back and fix, but I'll do so later.

Any who, onward!

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The scent of Kagome's tears hit Kouga like a slap to the face, for many reasons. First of all because he never wanted to see her cry, for her to feel such great sadness. The only tears she should shed were those of joy! But what really ticked him off was because those tears were for Inuyasha.

Kouga wasn't blind, he knew that Kagome was hopelessly in love with that trash. He wasn't worth her time, he was a no good half-breed who treated her like dirt, always insulting her! But that was all about to change. During this sweet month and a half time they'd be spending together, he knew she could get her to love him!

He heard Kiba make a gurgling sound in his arms, he looked down at the pup. Little rascal was trying to get his attention, though it reminded him that this wasn't just some romantic trip for the two of them. Kagome was here for a reason, and he intended to teach her everything there was to know about wolf demons!

He watched Kagome from the distance, she hadn't moved from the spot since Inuyasha and her friends had left. He decided to give her a few more moments to regain her composure. He leaned back against the tree, and whistled a little tune. One that Kiba fully enjoyed, his giggles filling the air.

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Kagome wiped away her tears on the sleeve of her sweater. She hoped that her eyes weren't red and puffy, she'd be embarrassed if Kouga saw her this way. She inhaled a few times effectively calming herself down, this isn't the first time Inuyasha has upset her. And wasn't going to be the last, she'd learned how to calm down to appear as they she were fine in front of her friends. Though she didn't think it really fooled them, she like to think that it did.

She put on a smile and turned around to go find Kouga and Kiba, but was shocked to see he was already behind her. "K-Kouga, you startled me!" she exclaimed. She was silent, she hadn't heard him approach.

Kouga smiled sheepishly, he'd tried to make is approach as loud as possible but she still hadn't sensed him. She was lost in her thoughts of Inuyasha, that mutt. "Sorry, I just thought we should head out now. There's some stuff we should get done today, and we don't have as much daylight as I'd like to."

She smiled and nodded, "Yeah we should get going!" Kouga handed back a sleeping Kiba into Kagome's arms. His breath was shallow and he gave a content sigh upon returning to her, and Kagome had to admit she missed him as well. She cared for Kiba, and she would use this time living with Kouga as a time to forget about Inuyasha and focus only on him.

Without warning Kouga lifted Kagome into his arms, "Don't mind, do ya?" He gave a boyish smirk and Kagome gave her the fake smile he was used to. He did his best not to frown, he wanted only Kagome's genuine smiles and nothing less! After covering Kiba to protect him with a blanket, Kouga picked up her belongings and they made their way over to the den.

Kouga knew that brining Kagome into the den wasn't a big deal, most if not all would accept Kagome with open arms. He knew there would be some opposition but it wouldn't much, and he would deal with it privately. He wanted to make sure that she felt comfortable as possible living with the wolves. Kiba was another situation.

Some will question which tribe he hails from, but unfortunately he doesn't know because Kagome wasn't able to find out before the death of the pup's mother. But most importantly many will question his adopting the pup. At this point he has no problem raising Kiba if as if he were his own, but that would mean he would be next in line to rule the pack after him. They'll want a direct descendant, that's going to take some convincing. Sighing, he finally stopped a few minutes walk from the den.

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"Is something the matter Kouga? We're not at the den..." Kagome asked concerned. Fears filled her suddenly. Had he changed his mind? Did he want nothing to do with Kiba? Would he refuse to help her and leave her hopeless as Inuyasha had?

Kouga was suddenly caught up on Kagome's emotional pattern, she was distressed and confused. Even a little scared. He pressed his mouth into a tight line, "Relax Kagome. I just wanted to talk about what to expect when we get there, I figured you might want to stretch your legs anyways."

"Right." she nodded feeling a little dizzy as he carefully placed her on the ground. Suddenly the gravity of the situation hit her, she was about to enter a den full of wolves, yes she's visited the den several times but this time it was different. She would be living among them for a month and a half, she'd have no contact with another human for a while.

Kouga frowned, she was suddenly more nervous and distressed. Kiba let out a small cry, Kagome's current emotions are just as upsetting to him as it is to Kouga. He walked forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Kagome, really you gotta relax."

"I-I know, Kouga. But I have to admit I'm not sure what to expect, I'm pretty nervous. Will they accept me? Can I handle living here for a month and a half?" Kagome looked up at him, her doubts written all over her face.

Kouga let out a chuckle, "Don't worry about a thing, Kagome! Everyone will accept you, I guarantee it! And if there's anything you ever need to make your stay here comfortable, just ask! I'll do whatever it takes."

Kagome nodded, she felt a little better. Kouga was so nice to her, she couldn't understand why. She hadn't treated him as great as she should have. But he had this astounding loyalty for her, so much that sometimes it was overwhelming. She made a mental note to herself to not give Kouga any false hope, he was a great guy. A great friend. And he deserved someone who wasn't as messed up as she was. So tangled within Inuyasha that she herself had no hope.

As they began walking towards the den Kouga spoke up, "One thing about wolves you should know is that we're very social creatures. So when we get to the den, they'll want to be as close as possible to one another. Since you're apart of the pack, you'll receive the same treatment. So don't be surprised when several of the wolves come over to you and try to get you to pet their head."

Kagome giggled, "That sounds nice. Do you enjoy having your head petted too?" She asked curiously to know if it were true. Sango once told her that just because Kouga appeared more human than his fellow wolf demons, didn't really make him any different from the other wolves.

He snorted, "Of course not! It'd be absurd to let any of the other wolves pet me. I'm the leader!" He added with confidence.

"You wouldn't even let _me_ pet you?" she asked jokingly, the genuine smile Kouga loved so much gracing her face.

He put an arm around her shoulder brining her closer as they walked, "Of course, I'd let you _pet_ me anytime."

His words were laced with suggestive undertones that Kagome chose to ignore, though she couldn't escape the light brush that spread across her face. "What else should I expect?"

"Well, I have to make a quick announcement and lay down some ground rules. But after that, I'll show you where you'll be staying and get you settled in." he released Kagome from his grasp and yawned a bit.

Kagome looked down at Kiba, she hope that when he grew up that he knew what exactly she did for him to make sure that he grew up properly!

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Just outside the entrance to the den, Kouga paused for a moment. "Don't worry. Just stick close to me and let me do all the talking." he gave a confident smirk.

Kagome took a deep breath, he was a leader and he was in charge. She had nothing to worry about because he was on her side. She reminded herself this upon entering the den.

"Everyone, you're humble leader has arrived!" Kouga exclaimed aloud. The pack who had most likely sensed his return long ago began to approach them. "I'm sure you've all noticed I've brought Kagome along, as well as a new pup." Rubbing their sides against his legs, and pushing the top of their heads into his hands.

They did the same to Kagome, which made her a little uneasy at first. She reminded herself that it was a social gesture and she relaxed, though she wasn't able to pet their heads. She kept both hands on Kiba, for fear of dropping him with all the commotion.

Kouga motioned Kagome to stand by his side, and she complied. Staying a very close distance, some of the wolves faces looked menacing and it made her uneasy. Kouga spoke aloud, "Kagome has recently come across this pup in need, and like the kind and generous person she is she has decided to accept this pup as one of her own. As a result, I've decided to accept this pup if it were my own as well. I will raise it as one of the pack, and you are all expected to treat him s if he were so."

"And the pup's name, Kouga?" a female wolf demoness spoke up. Kagome admired her beauty, she had never seen another female wolf demoness other than Ayame. She held a certain elegance and poise.

He gave a toothed-grin, "His name is Kiba. Kagome will be living with us for the next month and a half, so you're all expected to treat her with the respect she deserves! Anything she wants or asks for you give it to her! Now if you got a problem, don't bother telling me cause I won't give a damn. I'm off to my cave." He gave a nonchalant wave and the wolves went along with their business.

Kagome let Kouga led her to their destination, she made sure to be as close as possible to him. "Kouga, what did you mean if anyone had a problem?" she asked concerned. The last thing she wanted to do was cause Kouga any more problems than he already had.

"Don't worry about it. It's just something that should be mentioned. There's no problem." he reassured her.

Kagome hoped so, surprisingly Kouga was a hard person to read. He spoke with such confidence that anything he said would make you believe that he knew everything he was talking about without a doubt. He was also good at reassuring her, but there were some things he should out right and say! She decided to stay quiet about it for now, she would see what the future would entail.

"This is my personal cave!" Kouga exclaimed after having stopped in front of a large opening of at the side of the hill. "This is also where you'll be staying, with me of course."

Kagome frowned, "You want me to sleep in the same cave as you?" This had perverted intentions written all over it, and she could tell. She'd traveled with Miroku long enough.

"Don't look at me that way! That's not my intention at all. It's the nicest cave and the biggest, not to mention I'll only be staying with you for your protection!" the look she was giving him made it quite clear that she wasn't buying his answer. Though he was being sincere, there were many demons and he wanted to make sure she was safe. It was just an added bonus that he could sleep by her.

She shifted Kiba in her arms, "And why can't you stay in a neighboring? If I'm in danger, I'll just scream for you."

"Those caves belong to other wolves. Do you really want me to kick them out of their homes?" Kouga argued this point. It was a good one, he didn't want to have to kick them out.

"Oh. I hadn't realized. Can't we stay in another place then?" Kagome was trying on principle! If her mother knew she was sleeping in a cave with a male wolf demon what would she say?

He sighed, "Kagome look, I know this is strange for you. But I really do believe it's best that we stay in the same cave. Having to run to you will waste time, I can better protect you both if you're in the same cave." Kouga didn't understand why this was such a big deal. He wasn't some pervert, it was a little insulting that she was so concerned about it.

"I guess I have no choice..." Kagome sighed defeated and added jokingly, "...but I swear if you try something I won't hesitate to purify you." She knew maybe she was overreacting a little, but she had to keep in mind that Kouga has feelings for her. And this was just a subtle way of telling him that no, she was not interested in anything other than a friendship with him.

He smirked, "You have my word." He wasn't one to force himself on woman who clearly had not interest in him. From what he's learned Kagome, unfortunately, isn't interested. He planned to change that though.

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Kagome walked into the cave first, Kouga had offered to carry Kiba so that she could asses the place. She ran her hands against the walls of the cave as she walked further in, it was much deeper than she had earlier anticipated. She realized that Kouga was right, having to run to her from another cave would make things difficult to rescue her.

She made it to the end of the cave and wasn't too shocked by the simplicity of the set up. There was a large pile of furs set up on the floor, a makeshift for a bed. There were a few clay bowels and cups at one end, and weapons and armor in another. Much to her disgust, she realized she was standing near a pile of animal bones.

Seeing the flash of disgust that crossed her face. Kouga made a mental note to dispose of the bones, and to keep them out of the cave. Kouga placed her bag on the pile of furs for her to sort through her belongings, it was a very large bag. He wondered how she managed to carry such a thing around, and why there was so much stuff inside it.

Kagome knelt in front of the bag and started to shift through the items in the bag, pulling out things she thought she would need quick access to. Kouga sat beside her on the ground, gently placing Kiba on the pile of furs. He cooed happily, liking the texture of the furs against his skin.

"See the pup loves it here already!" Kouga exclaimed proudly.

Kagome paused what she was doing and looked over at the two, a soft smile on her face. "I wonder if it reminds him when he used to be with his parents."

"Of course it does! He's giving off all these happy vibes." he laid down on the furs, his day was exhausting and he was worried it was from from over.

Kagome set down a pile of blankets she had gotten for Kiba, "You can sense his emotions?" Kagome was confused, as far as she knew demons weren't able to do so.

"Pft. Of course, it's a common trait canine demons share." he stated it like it was common sense, "Even mutt-face should be able to sense those kinds of things." As soon as he realized he mentioned Inuyasha he regretted it, he had planned on making Kagome forget all about that loser and here he was bringing him up.

Kagome fell silent, all those times she was confused and sad. And he knew. He knew, even if vaguely, how she felt. How the actions he chose made her feel. Yet he had chosen to ignore them, this piece of information made her so angry that she wish she could find Inuyasha and 'sit' him into oblivion!

Kouga watched slightly frightened and amazed at the anger Kagome. Obviously this was something Inuyasha hadn't mentioned to her, though he wasn't sure why it was such a great deal to let herself get angry over it. He supposed that was a question for another day, in the mean time he just wanted to gain her trust and show her how dependable he was.

Sudden realization that Kouga could sense her emotions and she flushed immensely. She had been so caught up in her feelings she failed to realize it. "A-any ways, about Kiba. I was wondering what the best thing to feed him." She quickly changed to subject, pushing her problems aside.

"A pup Kiba's age should be drinking his mother's milk, but since that's not likely. We'll probably just get one of the other female demoness with child to feed him." Kouga explained.

Kagome pulled out a bottle of formula that Kiba hadn't finished earlier, "Do you think this isn't good enough?"

Kouga sat up and took the strange contraption into his hands, it looked incredibly...strange. Especially the strange...er….nipple at the top. He sniffed at the contents and didn't find anything wrong with it, "I guess this is fine for now, but we'll get one of the demoness to check it out in the mornin'."

Kagome nodded her head, she hoped that it was suitable. She'd feel bad if another demoness had to give her milk, which was intended for her pup, and give it to Kiba because Kagome wasn't able to offer for him. Kagome continued to pull out her essential items until she finally found what she was actually looking for.

"What's that thing?" Kouga asked as Kagome pulled out her sleeping bag from her backpack.

Kagome placed it on the ground and smoothed it out, several feet away from the pile of furs, "It's called a sleeping bag, It's just a comfortable place to sleep in. Beats sleeping in he dirt!"

"The furs are much nicer than that thing I bed ya! Why don't cha just sleep here?" he suggested. To sleep in that strange contraption looked foreign and uncomfortable to Kouga. It looked restricting and small.

Kagome paused and looked over at him, "But then where would you sleep?"

"On the furs?" he commented confused, he thought that was plainly explained.

Kagome put her hands on her hips and looked at him accusingly, "We're not sleeping on the furs together, no funny business remember!"

"What's so strange about sleeping in the same bedding? Wolf demons do it all the time, it's another social thing. Don't you sleep with demon slayer or Shippo?" he asked confused.

Kagome stammered, "Well I would share bedding with them, but not with another man! I'll just sleep in the sleeping bag." She didn't understand why she had to explain why she was uncomfortable with this arrangement.

"It's important for Kiba to sleep on the furs, it's some weird wolf instinct that's hard to explain. And as his new mother, it's also important that you sleep in the same place as he does." Kouga explained.

Kagome huffed, "Are you trying to trick me into thinking I have to sleep in the same bed with you for the best of Kiba?! As his new 'father' do you _you_ have to be in the same bed as Kiba?" She wasn't born yesterday!

"Well, no but…" Kouga started his argument but he was quickly cut off by Kagome.

Kagome stood up and dusted off her skirt, and she walked over back towards her bag, "Then I suppose you get the honor of sleeping in the sleeping bag."

Kagome refused to talk to him for the rest of the night, and had even gone as far as to push the sleeping bag so that he would be further away from her. As she got ready for bed, she even kicked him out of the cave so that she could change! Humans were weird and they needed a lot more privacy than any wolf demon would. She fed Kiba, who was fussy from the tension between the two, then got him ready for bed.

She laid in the bed of furs with Kiba in her arms, she had to admit though the bed of furs was much more comfortable than the sleeping bag. She soon her Kiba's soft breathing, his hands still holding tightly onto her fingers. She tried to follow suit, but unfortunately her brain was wracking with thoughts. Mostly about how she overreacted with Kouga, she was only trying to be helpful.

"Kouga?" Kagome whispered, wondering if Kouga had already fallen asleep.

Which was absurd in Kouga's mind, he wouldn't dream of falling asleep until after he knew she had. "Yes, Kagome?"

"I'm sorry I got so mad. This has been kind of an..." she paused, "...exciting day." She knew it was a lame excuse, but she hope Kouga would forgive her.

He chuckled, "Boy was it. Don't worry about it, Kagome. Now get some rest, we've got a big day tomorrow."

"Thank you for everything, Kouga." Kagome smiled sleepily and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Soon he heard Kagome's deep breathing, she was fast asleep. Kouga sighed staring up at the cave ceiling, he hoped these days would never end. His last thoughts were on how much he hated the accursed sleeping bag.

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Thank you for so many kind reviews and adding me this story to your favorites and following! I was so happy, and I wanted more than anything to pick up where I left off after every notification. But here I am once again! C: There are too many of you to mention, but I'm thankful for each and every one of you!

About the sensing emotions thing, I kind of think of it like ordinary dogs. Like my dog knows when I'm sad cause he cuddles next to me, or he knows when I'm happy cause he'll try to play. Haha. Hope it's not too weird. And no he's not 'smelling' the emotions, I've read that in too many fictions and it's just plain silly.

Until next time!


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